India's iconic 'Big Five' mammals

India's iconic 'Big Five' mammals

India is home to a diverse variety of wildlife and has its own 'Big Five' must-see mammals. Our photo gallery features Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, greater one-horned rhinos, Indian leopards, and gaurs.

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In this photo gallery, wildlife photographer Supriya Dam shares her 'Big Five' animals of India, including Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, greater one-horned rhinos, Indian leopards, and gaurs.

About Supriya Dam

Supriya Dam is an avid wildlife photographer and nature lover. She has been travelling across India more then a decade now (since 2006) to photograph amazing bio- diversity of India.

Many of her photographs has been published both in online and offline media and book titles.

View more of Supriya's photos on her Instagram.

Learn more about the featured species:

The Asian elephant is the largest mammal on the Asian continent. © Supriya Dam
Asian elephants can spend up to 19 hours a day feeding - typically on grasses, but their diet can also include leaves, roots, stems, and bark. © Supriya Dam
Asian elephants are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. © Supriya Dam
The tiger is 1 of 4 big cat species found in India, the others are: lion, leopard, and snow leopard. © Supriya Dam
There are 6 subspecies of tiger; the Bengal tiger subspecies is found on the Indian subcontinent. © Supriya Dam
Female tigers give birth to between 2 and 6 cubs, which stay with their mother for 2 to 3 years. © Supriya Dam
Unlike most other cats, tigers are strong swimmers, and will often use pools and streams to cool down. © Supriya Dam
The greater one-horned rhinoceros is the largest of the 5 extant rhino species. © Supriya Dam
Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the overall numbers of greater one-horned rhinos are increasing thanks to strict protections. © Supriya Dam

More wildlife photography galleries:

Baby rhinos stay with their mothers for up to 2 years. © Supriya Dam
The Indian leopard is 1 of 9 subspecies of leopard, and is found in the Indian subcontinent. © Supriya Dam
The Indian leopard subspecies has larger rosettes than other leopards. © Supriya Dam
Leopards are good climbers and rely on trees for cover. © Supriya Dam
The gaur, also known as the Indian bison, is the largest extant species of bovine. © Supriya Dam
Fighting between male gaurs is limited, as dominance is normally determined by size. © Supriya Dam
There are 6 subspecies of tiger; the Bengal tiger subspecies is found on the Indian subcontinent. © Supriya Dam

© Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

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